Usage Note: Thanks to the vagaries of English spelling, bear has two past participles: born and borne. Traditionally, born is used only in passive constructions referring to birth: I was born in Chicago. For all other uses, including active constructions referring to birth, borne is the standard form: She has borne both her children at home. I have borne his insolence with the patience of a saint.

bear 2

(bâr)

n.

1.

a. Any of various usually omnivorous mammals of the family Ursidae that have a shaggy coat and a short tail and walk with the entire lower surface of the foot touching the ground.

b. Any of various other animals, such as the koala, that resemble a true bear.

2. A large, clumsy, or ill-mannered person.

3.

a. One, such as an investor, that sells securities or commodities in expectation of falling prices.

b. A pessimist, especially regarding business conditions.

4. Slang Something that is difficult or unpleasant: The final exam was a bear.

5. Slang A highway patrol officer.

6. Slang A hairy, stocky gay man.

adj.

Characterized by falling prices: a bear market.

[Middle English bere, from Old English bera; see bher- in Indo-European roots. Sense 3, probably from the proverb to sell the bear's skin before catching the bear.]

bear

(bɛə)

vb (mainly tr) , bears, bearing, boreorborne

1. to support or hold up; sustain

2. to bring or convey: to bear gifts.

3. to take, accept, or assume the responsibility of: to bear an expense.

4. (past participle born; in passive use except when foll by by) to give birth to: to bear children.

5. (also intr) to produce by or as if by natural growth: to bear fruit.

6. to tolerate or endure: she couldn't bear him.

7. to admit of; sustain: his story does not bear scrutiny.

8. to hold in the conscious mind or in one's feelings: to bear a grudge; I'll bear that idea in mind.

9. to show or be marked with: he still bears the scars.

10. to transmit or spread: to bear gossip.

11. to render or supply (esp in the phrase bear witness)

12. to conduct or manage (oneself, the body, etc): she bore her head high.

13. to have, be, or stand in (relation or comparison): his account bears no relation to the facts.

14. (Navigation) (intr) to move, be located, or lie in a specified direction: the way bears east.

15. to have by right; be entitled to (esp in the phrase bear title)

16. bear a hand to give assistance

17. bring to bear to bring into operation or effect: he brought his knowledge to bear on the situation.

[Old English beran; related to Old Norse bera, Old High German beran to carry, Latin ferre, Greek pherein to bear, Sanskrit bharati he carries]

bear

(bɛə)

n, plbearsorbear

1. (Animals) any plantigrade mammal of the family Ursidae: order Carnivora (carnivores). Bears are typically massive omnivorous animals with a large head, a long shaggy coat, and strong claws. See also black bear, brown bear, polar bear

2. (Animals) any of various bearlike animals, such as the koala and the ant bear

3. a clumsy, churlish, or ill-mannered person

4. a teddy bear

5. (Stock Exchange) stock exchange

a. a speculator who sells in anticipation of falling prices to make a profit on repurchase

7. to suffer; endure or tolerate: He bore the blame. I can't bear your nagging.

8. to warrant or be worthy of: It doesn't bear repeating.

9. to carry; bring: to bear gifts.

10. to carry in the mind or heart: to bear malice.

11. to transmit or spread (gossip, tales, etc.).

12. to render; afford; give: to bear testimony.

13. to have and be entitled to: to bear title.

14. to exhibit; show: to bear a resemblance.

15. to accept or have as an obligation: to bear the cost.

16. to possess as a quality or characteristic; have in or on: to bear traces; to bear an inscription.

v.i.

17. to tend in a course or direction; move; go: to bear left.

18. to be situated: The lighthouse bears due north.

19. to bring forth young, fruit, etc.

20. bear down,

a. to press or weigh down.

b. to strive harder.

21. bear down on,

a. to press or weigh down on.

b. to strive toward.

c. to move toward rapidly and threateningly.

22. bear on or upon, to be relevant to; affect.

23. bear out, to substantiate; confirm.

24. bear up, to face hardship bravely; endure.

25. bear with, to be patient with.

Idioms:

bring to bear, to force to have an impact: to bring pressure to bear on union members to end a strike.

[before 900; Middle English beren, Old English beran, c. Old High German beran, Old Norse bera, Gothic bairan to carry, Skt bhárati (one) carries, Latin ferre, Greek phérein to carry]

syn: bear, stand, endure refer to supporting the burden of something distressing, irksome, or painful. bear is the general word and suggests merely being able to put up with something: She is bearing the disappointment quite well. stand is an informal equivalent, but with an implication of stout spirit: I couldn't stand the pain.endure implies continued resistance and patience over a long period of time: to endure torture.

usage: Since the latter part of the 18th century, a distinction has been made between born and borne as past participles of the verb bear. borne is the past participle in all senses that do not refer to physical birth: The wheat fields have borne abundantly. Judges have always borne a burden of responsibility.borne is also the participle when the sense is “to bring forth (young)” and the focus is on the mother rather than on the child. In such cases, borne is preceded by a form of have or followed by by: She had borne a son the previous year. Two children borne by her earlier were already grown. When the focus is on the offspring or on something brought forth as if by birth, born is the standard spelling, and it occurs in passive constructions and in adjective phrases: My friend was born in Ohio. No children have been born at the South Pole. Abraham Lincoln, born in Kentucky, grew up in Illinois.

bear2

(bɛər)

n., pl. bears, (esp. collectively) bear,n.

1. any large, stocky, omnivorous mammal of the carnivore family Ursidae, with thick, coarse fur, a very short tail, and a plantigrade gait, inhabiting the Northern Hemisphere and N South America.

2. a gruff, clumsy, or rude person.

3. a person who believes that stock prices will decline (opposed to bull).

4. (cap.) either of two constellations, Ursa Major or Ursa Minor.

adj.

5. marked by declining prices, esp. of stocks: a bear market.

[before 1000; Middle English be(a)re, beor(e), Old English bera, c. Old High German bero; Germanic *beran- literally, the brown one]

bear′like`,adj.

bear

(bâr)

1. Any of various large mammals having a shaggy coat, a rounded head, and a short tail. Bears eat plants and other animals, especially insects and small rodents. Bears walk with the entire lower surface of their foot touching the ground.

2. Any of various other animals, such as the koala, that resemble a true bear.

bear

1. 'bear'

The other forms of bear are bears, bore, borne. However, the past form and -ed participle are rarely used.

If someone bears pain or a difficult situation, they accept it in a brave way.

Boys are encouraged to be tough and bear pain, to prove they're a man.

2. 'endure'

Endure is used in a similar way.

Many people have to endure pain without specialist help.

3. 'can't bear'

Bear is often used in negative sentences. If you can't bear something or someone, you dislike them very much.

I can't bear him!

If you can't bear to do something, you cannot do it because it makes you so unhappy.

She couldn't bear to talk about it.

4. 'can't stand'

If you can't stand something or someone, you dislike them very much.

He kept on asking questions and I couldn't stand it any longer.

I can't stand people who lie.

Be Careful!Don't say that you 'can't stand to do something.

5. 'tolerate' and 'put up with'

If you tolerate or put up with something, you accept it, although you don't like it or approve of it. Tolerate is more formal than put up with.

bear - put up with something or somebody unpleasant; "I cannot bear his constant criticism"; "The new secretary had to endure a lot of unprofessional remarks"; "he learned to tolerate the heat"; "She stuck out two years in a miserable marriage"

live with, swallow, accept - tolerate or accommodate oneself to; "I shall have to accept these unpleasant working conditions"; "I swallowed the insult"; "She has learned to live with her husband's little idiosyncrasies"

carry, transport - move while supporting, either in a vehicle or in one's hands or on one's body; "You must carry your camping gear"; "carry the suitcases to the car"; "This train is carrying nuclear waste"; "These pipes carry waste water into the river"

frogmarch - carry someone against his will upside down such that each limb is held by one person

carry, bear, hold - support or hold in a certain manner; "She holds her head high"; "He carried himself upright"

earn, realise, pull in, bring in, realize, gain, make, take in, clear - earn on some commercial or business transaction; earn as salary or wages; "How much do you make a month in your new job?"; "She earns a lot in her new job"; "this merger brought in lots of money"; "He clears $5,000 each month"

act, move - perform an action, or work out or perform (an action); "think before you act"; "We must move quickly"; "The governor should act on the new energy bill"; "The nanny acted quickly by grabbing the toddler and covering him with a wet towel"

deal - behave in a certain way towards others; "He deals fairly with his employees"

walk around - behave in a certain manner or have certain properties; "He walks around with his nose in the air"; "She walks around with this strange boyfriend"

posture, pose - behave affectedly or unnaturally in order to impress others; "Don't pay any attention to him--he is always posing to impress his peers!"; "She postured and made a total fool of herself"

11.

bear - have rightfully; of rights, titles, and offices; "She bears the title of Duchess"; "He held the governorship for almost a decade"

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